New centre to make Italian visa processing faster

On the eve of Qatar National Day, the new Italy Visa Application Centre was officially inaugurated promising a faster, easier and enjoyable visa processing experience for citizens and residents planning to travel to Schengen area with Italy as main destination.

Operated by VFS Global, the Centre, which is conveniently located on the 6th Floor of Tower 3 at The Gate Mall and is also accessible via the new Doha Metro DECC station, was officially opened by Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, Pasquale Salzano yesterday.

Pasquale Salzano, Ambassador of Italy to Qatar (second left), with other officials cutting the ribbon to officially inaugurate the Italian Visa Centre at Tower 3, The Gate Mall, yesterday. Pics by Abdul Basit/THE PENINSULA

“This is my last formal act as ambassador to Qatar as a gift to Qataris and residents to make applying for Italian Schengen visa much easier and nicer for them to discover our beautiful country. We have done it in partnership with VFS Global and the aim was to enhance the services in order to make the visa process more enjoyable,” said Salzano while speaking to journalists.

Areas dedicated to children, leisure and tourism promotion are among the Centre’s features that would make an enjoyable stay at the Centre, the ambassador said, adding the Centre further enhances its services offering not only VIP but also VVIP services to Italian Schengen visa applicants.

Source: Peninsula Qatar

In addition, the Centre is situated in a prime location which is The Gate Mall, a luxury mall where visa applicants can also enjoy its restaurants, cafes and shops, he added. On visitor arrivals from Qatar, he said Italy witnessed more than 50 percent increase in the number of visitors from Qatar this year.

Milan, Venice, Rome and Pisa —main Italian cities which are easy to reach as Qatar Airways fly to them directly — remain the favourite destinations for Qatari tourists, he said.

Apart from the above destinations, the ambassador said, “We would also like to promote the hidden areas of Italy, the ones that are small jewels like the small towns all around the country. Italy is well known for its small characteristic towns,” he said.

“We also have our two main islands, Sardinia and Sicily which are extremely nice to visit year round because they are full of culture and treasures to discover,” he added.
The Centre is open from Sunday to Thursday, from 8am to 8pm, to facilitate applicants who are busy in the working hours. During the Holy month of Ramadan the opening hours will be further extended in the evenings.